Accident Overview
An air taxi pilot stalled the airplane while executing a steep turn to avoid high voltage power lines. The aircraft subsequently caught fire upon impact, and the pilot died from extensive thermal injuries. The aircraft was flying in formation with another aircraft at low altitude at the time of the incident.
Events Leading to the Accident
The pilot was operating in formation with another aircraft at low altitude. When the high voltage power lines were sighted, the other aircraft successfully pulled up and avoided the wires. The accident pilot, however, turned steeply and lost control of the aircraft before crashing.
Sequence of the Accident
The pilot's steep turning maneuver to avoid the power lines resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The aircraft then impacted the ground, and a fire broke out. The pilot sustained fatal thermal injuries from the post-impact fire.
Probable Cause
The pilot stalled the airplane while making a steep turn to avoid high voltage power lines.